Vibration-absorbing mounting for separator



Sept. 29, 1964 F. P. GOOCH VIBRATION-ABSORBING MOUNTING FOR SEPARATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 12

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INVENTOR.

FREDERIC P. GOOCH ATTORNEYS p 1964 F. P. GOOCH VIBRATION-ABSORBING MOUNTING FOR SEPARATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 12

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INVENTOR. FREDERIC P. GOOCH FIG.2

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,15LG74 WBRATION-ABSORBNG MOUNTING FOR EPARATGR Frederic P. Gooch, North Miami Beach, Fia., assignar to Ametek, line., New York, NY., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 172,492 1 Claim. (CI. 233-24} The present invention relates to centrifugal separators, and particularly to a vibration absorbing mounting for such separators.

Centrifugal separators employ a basket that is rotated at high speeds and into which is fed a slurry containing a material of one density that is adapted to be separated from material therein of another density. It frequently occurs that the material of greater density is a solid or of such density that when separated, it produces unbalanced loads within the basket, thereby causing eXcessive vibrations to be produced which, at high basket speeds, may even cause destruction of the apparatus.

The rincipal object of this invention is to provide a centrifugal Separator and a Vibration-absorbing mounting means therefor which will be inexpensive and yet effective to absorb the vibrations incident to the operation of centrifugal separators.

Another object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal Separator and vibration-absorbing mounting therefor wherein the basket of the centrifugal is fixed to a Vertically disposed spindle.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a centrifugal Separator in which the Separator is supported on a base plate having radial as well as axial vibration absorbng mountings between the plate and Separator as well as between the plate and the lato-supporting means.

In one aspect of the invention, a basket may be fixed to one end of a vertical spindle that is journaled within relatively widely spaced, aligned, antifriction bearings within a Vertical pedestal. The spindle may eXtend beyond the pedestal and have a driving pulley or other power input means connected to its extended end opposite that fixed to the basket.

The basket may :include thin, closely spaced, nested conical members forming what is known in the trade as a disk clarifier. Peripherally spaced exit means may be provided in the outer wall of the basket for passing the solids or dense residue that accurnulated about the inner periphery of the basket. A non-rotatable slurry feed means may be provided axially of, and above the basket for supplying material to be treated to` the basket substantially along its axis of revolution. As the basket rotates, the slurry is thrown outwardly, causing the more dense material thereof to accumulate along the inner periphery of the basket, and the action of the thin conical members causes the eflluent to move upwardly between them to an overow.

In another aspect of the invention, the vertical pedestal journaling the vertical spindle may be fixed to a base plate which latter may be supported by a frame through the agency of prestressed, fiexible, vibration-absorbing means that is capable of absorbing both radial and axial vibrations set up by the rotation of the basket When unbalanced loads are encountered.

In still another aspect of the invention, the supporting frame may include a foot at each corner thereof which foot may include prestressed flexible vibration-absorbing material capable of absorbing not only radial but axial vibrations incident to the operation of the Separator.

The above, other objects and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings which are merely exemplary.

3,15l,074 Patented Sept. 29, 1964 In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan View of a Separator and mounting therefor to which the principles of the invention have been applied;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational View taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view, on a reduced scale, taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational View taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the principles of the invention are shown as applied to a disk clarifier type of centrfugal Separator including a basket 10 having a central wall 11 of a modified conical form, fiaring outwardly near the bottom of the basket. Another modified hollow, conical member 12, concentric with the wall 11, may provide an annular passage 13 between the wall 11 and member 12. Ribs 14 and 15 at spaced intervals about passage 13 may join the member 12 to the wall 11.

A hollow trusto-Comical member 16 may be attached to the outer wall 17 of the basket 10 by ribs 18. A nested stack of thin conically shaped members 19 separated by ribs 19' may be located between the members 12 and 15, as is common in Separator-s of this type.

The inner wall 11 of basket 16 may be provided with a tapered central passage 20 adapted to fit onto the tapered end 21 of a vertically disposed spindle 22. The spindle 22 may be journaled in spaced antifriction bearings 23 and 24 within a vertical pedestal 25. Spaced ribs 26 fixed to pedestal 25 are also fixed to a plate 27 that may be rigidly bolted to a base plate 28. The base plate 28 is mounted in a peculiar fashion on a frame 29 in a manner to be described later.

The spindle 22 extends beyond the pla'te 28 and is shown as supporting a pulley 30 at the end thereof opposte that to which basket li) is fixed. A belt or other driving means 31 may connect pulley 34) to a cor'esponding pulley 30' on the output shaft of a motor 32 that is mounted on the frame 29 and which may include an adjustable mounting such as rotatable threaded sleeves 33 that engage non-rotatable threaded studs 34 fixed to the base of the motor 32 for adjusting the tension of the belt 31.

From the foregoing it is evident that the basket 10 is mounted at one end of a relatively long spindle 22 and that When unbalanced loads develop within it, its center of gravty is displaced from the axis of rotation of the spindle 22. At high speeds of the basket 10, these unbalanced forces tend to cause the spindle 22 to gyrate or wobble in a manner to produce radial as well as axial vibrations.

The frame 29 may include a top plate 35 having a hole 36 therein through which projects the lower end of spindle 22. Between the plates 28 and 35 may be located a plurality of resilient mounting elements 37. While as few as three such mounting elements may be employed, spaced l20 about the axis of spindle 22, in the embodiment disclosed eight such elements are shown. The elements 37 may comprise a metal sleeve 38 that acts as a core and is bonded to the internal wall of a cylindrical member 39 having a flange 39' and made from a resilient material such as rubber, neoprene or the like. The length of the cylindrical member 39 is substantially greater than that of the metal slceve 33. A bolt 40 may extend through the sleeve 38 and a nut 41 may be threaded onto the bolt 40 with a Washer 42 between it and the end of the cylindrical member 39. When the nut and bolt are tightened, the portion of the resilient cylinder member 39 beyond the end of the metal sleeve 38 is caused to expand into a fiange 43 at the end of member 39 opposite fiange 39'.

The plate 35 of frame 29 may include a skirt portion &lE-1,074

44. Referring to BIG. 4, the skirt 44 may be attached to a foot member 45 at each corner of plate 35. Each foot member 45 may comprise a metal disk 46 to which is threaded or otherwise fastened a rod 47. Resilient disk means 48 may surround* rod 47 and seat on disk 46. The disk means 48 may be made from a sheet of a yi 'ation and damping material such as a bonded mixture of cork and rubber. One such material is made by The Korfund Company in Westbur` Long Island, New York. A anged disk 49 may rest on the disk means 48, and a cylindrical member 50 may be welded or otherwise fastened to the disk 49. The upper end of the cylinder may be provided with a counterbore forming a shoulder 51 on which may rest a metallic disk 52. One or more sheets of vibration clamping material 53 similar to that of disk 48 may rest on disk 52, and another metal disk 54 may rest on the sheet 53. The rod 47 may extend upwardly through and beyond the disk 54 and have nut means 55 threaded thereto for prestressing the vibration damping sheets 48 and 53. A cover 56 may be mounted on the top of cylinder 5% to prevent unauthorized adjustment of the nut means 55. The plate 35 may have arouate cut-out areas at each corner thereof for receiving the feet 45, and the skirt 44 may rest on, and be attached to the flanged disks 49 of each foot.

Referring again to FIG. 2, a slurry or mixture of nn.- terial to be 'created may be continuously fed through a line 57 into the basket 1@ descending through the space between the inner wall 11 of basket lt) and the conical member 12 while the basket is rotating at Operating speed which may be in the order of about 6,060 r.p.m. The solids or more dense portion of the slurry is centrifugally thrown radially outwardly toward the outer wall 17, passes through nozzles 58 and is collected in a stationary housing 59, gravitating through a duct or outlet se. The less` dense portion of the slurry fiows upwardly between the thin nested conicai members 19 and is discharged through outlets 61 leading to a stationary outlet- Unbalanced loading of the basket 1@ may tend to cause the spindle 22 to rock or wobble about the lower hearing 24 which sets up radial as well as axial vibrations. The reslient mountings 39, which are in compression axially as well as radially, damp and absorb both the aXial and radial vibrations set up by the rotating mass. Furthermore, any vibrations that pass beyond the mountings 39 into the frame 29 are absorbed and damped by the pre- F stressed resilient isolating sheets 48 and 53 within each of the feet 45 at the corners of the frame 29.

Although the various features of the invention have been shown and described in detail to fully disclose one embodiment of the invention, it will be evident that changes may be made in such details and certain features may be used without others without departing from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a centrifugal Separator, a base plate; a pedestal mounted on, and located at the center of said base pinte; a frame for supporting said base plate and pedestal, said frame acting as a floor support for said Separator; a spindle extending axially through said pedestal; spaced antifriction bearings within said pedestal for journalng said spindle, said spindle extendng a substantial distance beyond one end of said pedestal and a shorter distance beyond its other end; a centrifugal bowl attached to the end of said spindle that extends a substantial distance beyond said pedestal and at a substantial elevation above its floor support, said bow] including an imperforate wall; nozzle means within said wall; a nested stack of closely spaced frusto-conical disk members within said bowl; driving means connected to the other end of said spindle; aligned holes in said base plate and frame at spaced points about said pedestal; bolts extending through said holes; washers and nuts on said bolts for fastening said base plate to said frame, said washers being of greater diameter than said holes; a plurality of resilient means between said base plate and frame, each resilient means extendng through one of said holes in said frame, said bolts extending through said resilient means, each said resilient means comprising an end fianged tubular resilient element having a metallic inner tubular member extending therethrough and bonded thereto, the end of said resilient tubular element opposite said fianged end extending beyond the end of said inner tubular member and contacting said Washer or" greater diameter than said hole, said Washer lying between the non-fianged end of said resiiient element and said nut on said bolt, whereby when said resilient means is compressed by tightening said nut and bolt, the extended end of said resilient tubular element is expanded beyond the size of said hole and provides both axial and radial compression in said resilient means; a plurality of feet a'ttached to' said frame member, said feet comprising tubular metallic elements attached to said frame member; metallic disks at spaced points along said tubular elements; non-metallic disks of bonded cork and rubber on opposed faces of said disks; metallic plates on the opposite faces of said non-metallic disks; and bolt and nut means extending through all (f-said disks and piates for compressing said non-metallic disks against said metallic disks, said non-metallic disks maintaining said metallic disks and plates spaced from each other and permitting said feet to absorb axial and radial Vibrations of the spindle.

References cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,5GO,100 trezyrski Mar. 7, 1950 2,500,467 Pearce Mar. 14, 1950 2,519,8l3 Bayless Aug. 22, 1950 2,827,229 Blum Mar. 18, 1958 2,917,230 Kaldewey Dec. 15, 1959 3,()-61,181 Gooch Oct. 30, 1962 3, )69,016 Kiesskalt et al Dec. 18, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,389 Germany Sept. 24, 1879 115074 Austria Jan. 25, 1930 864410 Great Britain Apr. 6, 1961 1,049,480 France Aug, 19, 1953 1,099,563 France Mar. 23, 1955 OTHER REFERENCES German printed application, 1,067,244, Oct. 15, 1959. 

